The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a series of electronic images of an animated figure having at least two body portions, wherein a first body portion from one source is automatically combined in anatomically appropriate fashion with a second body portion from the same or different source. The series of electronic images are then further combined with other images.
In the following description, the term "head" is intended to include not only the head of a human being with its hair (however long) face, ears, etc., but also any and all appurtenant accessories such as a hat, glasses, hair adornments, jewelry (earrings, etc.) and the like. The term "body" as it is used herein, is intended to include the body of a human being, animal, fish, etc., (either real or fictional, animated or photorealistic) including not only the torso, arms, legs, tail, fins, etc., but also any and all appurtenant clothing, shoes, jewelry, and the like. The image of the head and/or body may be obtained from a "real" head or body, respectively, either photographically or by electronic image scanning, or from an artistic or computer generated rendering thereof.
It is known to produce pictures of human subjects with the head of one human being superimposed upon the body of another human being, animal, fish, etc. This superposition is normally accomplished "mechanically" by cutting around the outline of the head of a person shown in a first photograph and applying this head, in the proper position and orientation, to a body in a second photograph. The resulting "mechanical" is thereafter photographed and/or scanned electronically to produce a third photograph or electronic image. Electronic implementation of this process is also known, where the head is electronically traced and superimposed.
This superposition process is time consuming and requires that the head and body in the first and second photographs, respectively, be adjusted in scale photographically; that is, that either the first or second photograph be enlarged or reduced so that the head and body are of the same relative size.
Consequently, this superposition process is only rarely used, and when used it is limited to situations where the cost of the process is small compared to the cost of the overall desired product.
Steir et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,171 relates to a system for superimposing images. A video image of a head is captured. This image is apparently processed as a static single frame, and a separate hairstyle is overlayed with a translation and scaling transform. The system does not provide for dynamically merging a first image with a second image which changes. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,568.